“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” (John 1:14, MSG)
We are currently discussing the Myth of Tradition #1: the building as temple in the new covenant. The last teaching discussed the presence of primordial spiritual water which will flow over the earth, and we specifically spoke about the feast of tabernacles, or the feast of huts, as the last great feast of Israel which is in the process of being fulfilled. On this feast day of tabernacles the following important prophetic act took place: “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:37-38).
In John 1, when the disciple/apostle John explains to the Jews the importance of Jesus and the dispensation which He has brought into being on earth, he uses the following very insightful words in verse 14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us …” The verb phrase “dwelt among us” uses the Greek verb skēnoō in the original, which according to Strong means: “to tent or encamp, that is, (figuratively) to occupy (as a mansion) or (specifically) to reside (as God did in the Tabernacle of old, a symbol for protection and communion): – dwell.” Therefore a few specific translations explain this verse as follows:
- “And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us …” (AB)
- “And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.” (LITV and MKJV)
- “And the: Word became flesh, and tabernacled with us …” (Murdock)
- “And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us …” (YLT).
The physical tabernacle is replaced by a spiritual tabernacle. Two Scriptures in the book of Hebrews is explicitly concerned with this transition from a physical temple to a spiritual temple:
- “a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.” (Heb. 8:2)
- “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.” (Heb. 9:11).
John describes this true/greater/more perfect tabernacle in Rev. 21:2 as “the holy city, New Jerusalem”, the Bride of Christ. Therefore the next verse reads, “and I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.’” In the new covenant the building as temple is thus clearly a non-biblical myth of tradition.
- Selah: What practical implication does this teaching have for you?
- Read: Deut 14-16.
- Memorise: Deut 16:13 (note the synchronicity).
